Diphu district and sessions judge A.U. Ahmed on Friday awarded life imprisonment to all the 12 convicts in the Jhankar Saikia lynching case.

The court pronounced its judgment on Monday.

Jhankar, a BA first-year student of Diphu College, and his father Haren Chandra Saikia, a lawyer, at Diphu in Karbi Anglong was allegedly beaten up in Diphu town by a group of autorickshaw drivers on June 25 in 2013 after they reportedly refused to pay Rs 30 instead of the “legitimate” fare of Rs 20.

As the auto drivers were thrashing both father and son, a few bystanders called the police but the cops allegedly pushed the youth towards the mob.

Jhankar, critically injured in the scuffle, was shifted to a private hospital where he died of his injuries on July 1. Diphu police station has registered a case (No. 95/13) under Sections 294, 325, 307, 109, 147, 148, 149, 337, 338, 302 and 34 IPC.

“It is a case where a 19-year-old was fisted and kicked to death in the presence of his father. He fought with death for almost four days but did not survive. Over a tiny matter, a schoolboy was assaulted in broad daylight in a public place in the presence of thousands of people. None came forward to save him,” the court said while pronouncing the quantum of punishment.

“I am asking myself how society can change where such a youth would not lose his life like that. A message must go to society that wrongdoers cannot go unpunished,” the court said.

“I do hereby order the convicted accused persons, namely Robinson Teron, Biswajit Hanse, Sarsing Teron, Sanjoy Rongphar, Bikram Tisso, Junsing Teron, Binong Terang, Sarlongri Terang, Philipson Taro, Hitesh Rava, Enus Timung and Mangal Sing Rangphar, to suffer rigorous imprisonment for six months under Section 147 IPC, rigorous imprisonment for one month under Section 341 IPC, rigorous imprisonment for six months under Section 323 IPC and rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 and in default, simple imprisonment of two months under Section 302 IPC. Sentences will run concurrently,” the court said in its order.

It also directed the district legal services (DLSA) authority of Diphu to pay adequate financial assistance under victim compensation scheme as laid down under Section 357 A of the CrPC to the father of the victim.

The court ordered the secretary, DLSA, Diphu, Karbi-Anglong, to hold an inquiry in Jorhat circuit house to determine the amount of compensation and to complete the inquiry within one month.